If you missed this quarter's edition of the Insider magazine, don't worry. Here are the 5 things we've all learned from it. Also, don't forget, you can still catch up in the member area, or by emailing us to get your hands on a printed copy.
One of our first apprentices, Colin Bradley, recently received an award for achieving the highest pass rate of an APA student (in 2017) from our Cork Institute. We wanted to ask him what his secrets were and if he was willing to share his study tips! Here's what he had to say;
When I received my APA (Accredited Product Adviser) designation at the end of last year, I gave myself a little pat on the back for a job well done. It was a great feeling to get recognition for the hours of study I’d put in on top of my day job, a feeling that I’m sure was shared by all graduates at conferrals earlier this year.
Patrick Dunne Geraghty ACII of Aviva earned his ACII designation in less than 12 months. We spoke to him to hear his advice on balancing studying towards an advanced qualification with the pressures of work and family life.
When you are studying towards any qualification, knowing your learning style can help you get off to the best start possible. We have created this quiz to help you identify your learning style and find out which of our study supports will work best for you.
When it comes to an exam, all students know that every single mark counts. Good exam technique and precise time management can be the difference between passing and failing, and all too often these are the areas where students tend to miss out on the opportunity to gain more marks.
Creating and sticking to a study plan can be difficult, particularly when you're trying to balance this with a busy home and work life. Whether you're facing the first exam you’ve sat in a while or you’re a seasoned student, knowing how to make a plan that fits in with your schedule is a key first step towards achieving success.
There are few things in life more disappointing than realising you’ve been unsuccessful in an exam.
There could be any number of reasons you didn’t pass. Maybe you were experiencing a personal difficulty that hindered your ability to study over the last few months. Perhaps your work schedule was so jam-packed that you didn’t have as much time to revise as you would have liked. Or maybe you can hold your hand up and say that you didn’t put in enough effort this time.
When studying towards any qualification, it can be difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The long evenings and weekends you give up to read textbooks, make notes and take mock exams can feel frustrating and never-ending. However, as you pass each exam and draw closer to your qualification, remember that there is plenty to look forward to beyond gaining extra letters after your name.
Throughout the semester, it’s easy to let your carefully thought out study plan fall to the back of your mind. Work, family and social priorities can take over, which means you could miss a couple of weeks of valuable study time.
